Ambassador Olson launches Lincoln Corner Quetta

Quetta, March 18, 2015 (PPI-OT): United States Ambassador to Pakistan Richard G. Olson launched Lincoln Corner Quetta at the University of Balochistan’s Law College, presenting a gift of 150 books for the new facility. U.S. Consul General Brian Heath, University of Balochistan Law College Vice Chancellor Javeid Iqbal, and Principal Amanullah Achakazai, as well as Pakistan U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) Quetta Chapter members, attendeda ceremony commemorating the opening. The U.S. Ambassador and Consul General were in Quetta to meet with government officials, politicians and leaders of civil society.

“It is an honour to be here today in Quetta to announce our first Lincoln Corner in the province of Balochistan,” said Ambassador Olson. “Lincoln Corners play a crucial role in fostering greater mutual understanding between our two countries. More than a library, a Lincoln Corner is a community space that will enable the people of Balochistan and the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi to interact more regularly and with much greater effect,” he said.

This is one of many U.S. initiatives to support educational and economic development in Balochistan. The U.S. is helping communities increase crop and livestock yields, level land, and plant orchards. In Balochistan’s Pishin district, the U.S. is working with home-based women fabric workers to improve the quality of their products and better align designs to what is popular in the marketplace.

The U.S. also provides merit-based scholarships for agricultural and business administration students at the Balochistan University of Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences and funds scholarships for students from throughout Balochistan to study in the United States for. For example, this year, 17 talented Baloch students will spend one year on the Community College program, attending American community colleges where they will improve their technical skills, develop leadership skills, and serve as cultural ambassadors for Pakistan in the United States.

Lincoln Corners are spaces named after Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America. Lincoln Corners are authoritative sources of information about the United States, and like public libraries in America, they serve as internet cafes, community centers, classrooms, and movie theaters. There are more than 700 Lincoln Corners in 169 countries, including 17 in Pakistan. For more information about Lincoln Corners in Pakistan, please visit http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/lincoln_corners.html